Abstract
The role of education in the structural transformation of Nigerian society cannot be overemphasized. The World Economic Forum (2018) revealed that Nigeria has the highest number of out-of-school children, and it is home to the highest incidence of poverty. Even though almost 85 out of 100 could read and write in Southern Nigeria, the academic performance of public-school students in the West African Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) is poor. The persistent poor performance of Nigerian secondary school students in WASSCE over the years has been a major concern to relevant stakeholders in the education sector. Although the national pass rate in WASCCE has increased considerably over time from 30% in 2014 to 65% in 2020, this improvement varies significantly amongst Nigerian regions. Using a mix of secondary data, literature review, key informant interviews, and open-ended, close-ended survey questionnaires, this study attempts to explain the school-level factors, household factors and other out-of-school factors that influence academic performance in southern Nigerian public senior secondary schools. The surveys were used to collect data from the principals and teachers at the selected schools while semi-structured interviews were conducted with officials at the Teaching Service Commissions. This study catalyzes the achievement of SDG 4 in the Nigerian domain as it helps to identify the factors impeding the delivery of quality education. The findings from this study will inform the policymakers and other stakeholders on the most efficient intervention programs to implement in revamping the educational sector in poor-performing states.
Author Information
Olutomiwa Binuyo, University of the Western Cape, South Africa
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